The present disclosure generally relates to modular building structures. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to modular building structures designed to be constructed off-site and transported using standard load transport.
Correctional facilities typically include a plurality of cells for inmates that are incarcerated on the premises. The cells constitute living quarters for the inmates during their incarceration. In many cases, cells are arranged in two levels where the top level of cells is placed directly over the lower level. The top level of cells commonly has a landing of approximately 4 feet in width and extending the length of the cells to enable inmates incarcerated on the upper level to enter and exit their cells.
Cells are constructed out of poured concrete. The concrete can be poured and allowed to form a single structure in order to enhance the strength of the structure. Cells are commonly grouped together in groups of, for example, two cells (“double module”) or four cells (“quad module”). When fabricating double module cells, the landing and the cells are typically cast monolithically. However, the quad module cells and the landing are commonly fabricated separately and attached together at the correctional facility. However, using multiple concrete elements increases cost.
In some cases, the cells are produced off-site and are transported to the correction facility for installation. As commonly constructed, the cells are approximately 14 feet in width from front to back. Because the landing extends approximately an additional 4 feet from the front of the cell, the entire width of the cell block is approximately 18 feet.
Trucking companies must abide by various wide load and/or super load restrictions determined by each state. For example, when transporting a load over 16 feet in width in Pennsylvania, trucking companies are required to obtain a permit for a super load that requires a police escort. In most cases, a long lead time is required to obtain a super load permit. Moreover, most states only issue a limited number of super load permits per day for a single point of origin. Thus, super load transport is generally considered to be undesirable for at least the reasons listed above.
In contrast, a load between approximately 8.5 feet and 16 feet is merely classified as a wide load. In particular, a load between 13 feet and 16 feet is classified as a wide load that requires a car escort and for which permits are routinely issued. As such, the cost of transporting wide loads is significantly less than the cost of transporting super loads and the time to obtain permits for such loads is substantially less than for super loads.